Rockland businessman rides Pan-Mass Challenge for friend

Thursday

John Medlin, owner of Rockland Athletic Supplies on Union Street, started riding in the Pan-Mass Challenge three years ago to help out a friend with cancer.

John Medlin, owner of Rockland Athletic Supplies on Union Street, started riding in the Pan-Mass Challenge three years ago to help out a friend with cancer.

His friend, the late Jen Maher, was suffering from the disease and could not ride in the event – as she typically did with her husband, Mike – because she was too weak.

Jen asked Medlin if he would ride instead, and he said he would do it.

Jen died two years ago, but Medlin has continued to ride in the Pan-Mass Challenge. This will be his third one, which will take place Aug. 1 and 2.

The 12-member team he’ll be riding with is named Jenstrong, in memory of his late friend. The team wears bracelets with Jenstrong written on it.

“I haven’t been training like I did last year,” Medlin said. “I’m really going to start pushing myself over the next month.”

He said he plans on taking two or three shorter rides during the week while taking a 50-plus mile ride on the weekends. The week before the Pan-Mass Challenge, he will be taking a 75-mile practice ride.

“This is not a race, this is a ride,” Medlin said.

Cyclists can choose from seven routes of varying mileage designed to cater to all levels of cycling strength and time availability. Two-day rides include the original 190-mile Sturbridge to Provincetown route; 180-mile Sturbridge-Bourne-Wellesley route; 163-mile Wellesley-Bourne-Provincetown route; or the 153-mile Wellesley-Bourne-Wellesley route. One-day riders cycle the 110-mile Sturbridge-Bourne route, the 84-mile Wellesley-Bourne route, and the 47-mile Wellesley-Wellesley Sunday loop. Cyclists are required to raise between $1,000 and $4,200 to ride in the PMC, depending on the chosen route, yet the average PMC cyclist raises more than $6,000.

Medlin will be taking on the 190-mile route and said his personal goal this year is to raise $10,000 after raising more than $11,000 last year.

Medlin said his wife, Linda, really helps him with raising funds each year.

“If it wasn’t for her, I couldn’t do this,” he said, adding all the money raised from the event go directly to the Dana Farber Cancer Center in Boston. He said many Rockland businesses have supported him over the last few years, as have those in his hometown of Marshfield. He said when parishioners at Medlin’s church – Our Lady of Assumption in Marshfield – found out he was taking part in the event again, they all wrote him checks to donate toward the cause.

“Everyone has been super supportive,” he said.
Linda said she is very proud of her husband for doing this.

“In the 30 years we have been married, I have never been more proud of him,” she said. “To be at both finish lines each day is so emotional for my son, daughter and myself. John suffers from chronic back pain and has a ruptured disc, but he never even gives it a thought. To him it is nothing compared to the pain that people fighting cancer have. His commitment to this cause and his promise to our friend Jen, who died of cancer two years ago, is so strong that he just keeps on pedaling. He is the oldest on the Jenstrong team so he takes a lot of kidding from his younger teammates who love to hear all the moaning and groaning. His goal in this ride is to find a cure for cancer in our lifetime, and it is all well worth it.”

Medlin said he is looking forward to this year’s Pan-Mass Challenge, but noted there will be some challenges during the ride.

“When you’re going through the hills of Truro, it gets really tough,” he said. “I’m not very good with hills. But when things get tough, all I have to do is think of Jen.

“I just need to keep my own pace because as I said, this is a ride, not a race.”

He said riders who have not taken part in the event, but are planning to do so this year, should definitely keep hydration in the front of their minds.

He said aside from keeping hydrated during the ride, people should just enjoy the sights and sounds. For Medlin, the best ones are the sounds of cancer survivors cheering the riders from the sidelines screaming out things like “thank you.”

“I get goosebumps just thinking about that,” Medlin said.

“I think it’s great that he’s gotten so into it,” said David Evans, who works with Medlin at Rockland Athletic Supplies.

Medlin said he is still fundraising. His wife is hosting a fundraising party for him on July 17 at Venus II in Marshfield. He said if people can give to the cause, that would be a big help.

“All the proceeds go to help fight cancer and who hasn’t been touched by this disease?,” he said. “Without question, taking part in this event is one of the best, most gratifying things I’ve ever done with my life.”

To contribute to John Medlin’s cause, send checks to Pan-Mass Challenge, c/0 John Medlin, 41 Partridge Brook Circle, Marshfield, MA, 02050 or log on to www.pmc.org and type in Medlin’s rider ID: JM0467.

Rockland Standard

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